


This is What He Liked

by imnotyourhamilson



Series: Revenge of the Nerds, Tailor's Apprentices, Aspiring Lawyers, and Everyone Inbetween [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Friendships, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Non-binary character, Pride Parade, but let me live, gays are happy and free to be gays, i realize that putting the founding fathers in a modern college au is "illogical", john and alex are being Difficult bc they like each other duh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7630762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotyourhamilson/pseuds/imnotyourhamilson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“That came out weird.”</p>
<p>“Yeah”</p>
<p>“Well, I’ve-”</p>
<p>“You, uhm-”</p>
<p>“I must admit I’m a little lost-”</p>
<p>“For words?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is What He Liked

**Author's Note:**

> *throws confetti* I wanted to write something fun and awkward and I really do apologize for taking so long to write this update I just... i am having a weird fucking time but yes here you go *presents* more Awkward Flirting Between Alex and John

“Okay, hold still… _Hold still_.”

“I _am_.”

“Well, you’re not trying hard enough!”

John wants to groan, he wants to roll his eyes, he wants to do _something_ mildly immature but that will only make the situation worse because this was _Alexander_. And if he did something as small as breath in an agitated way, Alex would definitely come back with something harsher and wittier and just _bitchier_. 

So, he straightens his back and relaxes his face. “Okay, good,” Alex sighs. “Thank you for actually _working with me here_ instead of being _useless_.”

“Honestly, why am I friends with you?”

“Make sure you add some of the glitter into his hair so he can match with me,” Lafayette suddenly interrupts, popping up behind Alex and setting their chin on Alex’s shoulder. 

“I will, don’t worry,” Alex whispers. He focuses back on John, using one of Lafayette’s brushes to add purple eyeshadow in John’s tear duct.

“Don’t you think this is… A little excessive?”

“Of course not, it’s pride!” Lafayette chimes in with a grin. “And _I_ think rainbow eyeshadow is _pretty_.”

“Also my first pride, let me remind you,” John grumbles. “Maybe I should just… hang out in the back?”

Lafayette shakes their head while spraying some glitter into the beautiful, curly orbit that surrounded their head. “Pride has always been, and will always be, a loving and encouraging environment,” they explain. “Everyone will love you.”

“Especially since _I_ did your makeup,” Alex gloats with a wide smile.

“Hopefully you didn’t make me look like a clown.”

Alex then gasps, (very very loudly), placing a hand on his heart. “I am _offended_. Say anything else I might _accidentally_ forget to blend your eyeshadow.”

John’s lips twitch with a smile because here he is, having a conversation with two people, two friends? And he is being _included_ and what more could he want since he’s been avoiding all human interaction since he moved into his college dorm. 

“Alex, are you going to wear any makeup?” John asks, rising from his seat to walk across Lafayette’s dorm room. John slips on his sneakers and bends over to tie the laces.

“Nah… I’m not one to be _too_ flashy,” Alex mumbles while adding some rainbow ribbons to his pigtails. 

“Uhm, just last week you asked Herc to design a jacket for you-”

Alex points an accusing finger at John, his lips twitching with a smile because John’s attempt at poking fun also calls for an argument, and this is what he liked- _who_ he liked possibly maybe sorta. He always caught the playfulness in John’s eyes because even he knew, (hell, everyone could see), it was more than just bickering . “John, you don’t wanna go there,” he laughs. 

“You asked him to make you a jacket that you could wear whenever you debate with T. Jeff-”

“John, Jesus Christ, shut up.”

“You asked him to make it green. _Vibrantly green_. So…”

“Stop being a dick! You’re the one who puts Starbursts in the cupholders whenever you have an Uber shift. _Please_ , convince me how that isn’t _flashy_.”

“That’s completely different. Admit it, Alex! _You’re_ flashy!”

“Shut _up!”_

“Guys, would you please get over yourselves. I think we all know who the flashy one is, ” Lafayette gloats, twirling in their rainbow tutu.

John laughs and claps for his friend while Alex rolls his eyes, turning around to stare at himself in the mirror to adjust his pigtails. 

In this moment John wonders how he could be in the same room with to _unbelievably_ beautiful people. It seems almost unreal because back in high school, John spent his time thinking _wow I am totally straight but also why do I feel funny whenever that one boy smiles at me wow._ And now he was racing down the stairs with two openly queer people, opening the doors to a pride parade. 

Confetti floats in the air, music speaking of love blares, couples hold hands, happy queer people make their way through streets; it was _beautiful_. John laughs and dances and wraps his arms around Alex. He receives hugs from strangers and he feels absolutely, and unapologetically happy to be gay. 

The crowd progresses through the town and John thinks, _what the hell_ , he never wants this to _end_. 

“I’m so happy,” he laughs to no one in particular, turning in the exact moment to witness Alex grab Lafayette’s face in his hands, kissing them sloppily for everyone to see. All teeth and tongue and just plain _out there._ There is a brief second where a hot blush taints John’s cheeks but it is only followed with the same thought that has been coursing through his mind all day; _fuck, this cannot end._

“I’m livestreaming this whole thing on my snapchat,” Lafayette announces after the trio decided to take a breather in the grass. Alex had laid out a random blanket and was now passing out water bottles, smiling and nodding his head to some music someone nearby was blasting. 

“Good!” Alex shouted. “The whole world needs to see all of the _love_!”

“Don’t start crying,” Laf chuckles, adjusting the sunglasses on their nose before laying down.

“I won’t,” Alex croaks. He turns his head away from his friends to watch the other beautiful queer people pass by. He leaned back with Lafayette, feeling the warm setting sun hugging his skin and damn, he feels full of love. Unapologetic love.

Before he could really make a fool of himself, because _dear lord please do not cry in public_ , John reaches his arm over Laf to hand Alex a tissue. “Sorry guys,” he mumbles. 

“No, no,” John says quickly. He sits up and watches Alex fumble with the tissue in his hands. “Don’t apologize, Hammy.”

Alex giggles from the sound of the absurd nickname before sniffling and averting his eyes from his friends. “It just… Uh, I don’t know. It makes me happy to be so free right now…”

“But also sad that it can’t always be like this,” Laf finishes, who nods their head while rubbing soothing circles on Alex’s back. 

“Exactly!” Alex exclaims. “It sucks that we have to keep all of this-” he spreads his arms out before bringing them back towards his body, gesturing towards his heart with lament- “All inside.”

“I agree!” John shouts, almost surprising himself with the volume of his voice. 

“A-And it’s not like being ourselves is-”

“Accepted.”

“Considered normal.”

“Safe.”

“Absolutely, and I- all of us never spew hatred-”

“It’s always about love.”

“Right!”

“And we just want to live-”

“And have basic rights.”

“And the people in power get to vote on whether or not we get rights.” 

The three go silent for just a moment before John gets an overwhelming feeling in his chest. The day he had was absolutely beautiful and so were his previous days and he would probably have _more_ beautiful days in the future. Hell, no matter how melodramatic he sounds, John speaks up and says, “Y’know what? Fuck this, I am gay and alive in this world and love is here to stay and that is enough.”

“Hell yeah!” Alex acknowledges. He even clenches his fists and stands up abruptly, scanning the vicinity with a hopeful look. John watches Alex carefully. His heart picks up speed but he isn’t surprised because Alex _always_ has that effect on him.

“I love you guys,” Lafayette laughs. “I love you guys so much that I’m gonna go buy you some goddamn ice cream!”

With those words, Lafayette jumps up and races down the hill, hair and tutu bouncing. John and Alex were left alone on the blanket. 

“Sit down, nerd,” John chuckles half-heartedly. He pulls on Alexander’s pant leg, (or more like annoyingly tugs over and over again), who then stumbles. Alex falls on the blanket with a giggle. The two gradually scoot closer to each other because being closer was _better_ , (of course). Soon enough, John’s elbow was touching Alex’s and Alex’s fingers were brushing John’s knuckles. Together. _Together._

“John, you’re so awesome,” Alex suddenly blurts awkwardly. “Like… when you say things.”

“Thank you?”

“That came out weird.”

“Yeah”

“Well, I’ve-”

“You, uhm-”

“I must admit I’m a little lost-”

“For words?”

John chuckles and his skin feels as if it’s hanging above an electric fence because Alex was _close_ and mumbling? Mumbling and pulling little strands of grass from the ground and avoiding eye contact. Was he nervous? _No way._ He couldn’t be nervous because, well… He’s Alex. And he’s always exuded confidence. 

“Hey,” Alex says quietly after a couple seconds pass. 

“Yeah?” John says at the same level, feeling his own body gravitate closer to Alex’s. He even notices Alex’s eyes flicker down, glancing quickly at John’s lips and fuck, John wants to jump so high that his head touched the clouds.

“Well, I, uh,” Alex manages. “Let’s see, uhm, I think about k-”

“Icecream!” A cheerful voice suddenly shouts. Lafayette bounds up the tiny hill with two icecream cones in hand. “Huh, you two are cozy,” they also add with a playful grin and then cuddles in between them, handing each student their designated icecream. 

John wants to scream. 

He wants to _scream_.


End file.
